Levi
Levi tsked at the imbecilic Military Police loitering behind him as they laughed about the apparent lack of Titans. It was all just one big, damn joke to them. He, Erwin, and the others who hadn't gone on to Utgard Castle had returned to Trost earlier that morning, and it was now simply a question of sitting around and waiting for the Garrison advance team to report back. Bored out of his mind and desperately impatient for news of Anya and the others, he'd never felt so useless before. Each time he caught sight of the trembling, pathetic pastor sitting opposite him in the wagon, he had to resist the urge to kick him. He'd just about had enough of babysitting, and the shitheads from the Military Police were doing nothing to improve his mood.
"Hey, Levi. Where you hiding the Titans at?" one of them called to him.
He twisted round to look at the trio of soldiers, feigning surprise.
"Oh? You all seem so disappointed. Sorry... It's a shame you couldn't fight any Titans today. If you're looking for another chance, there are plenty of expeditions outside the walls."
He narrowed his eyes. If only the idiots knew what it was like, facing those disgusting creatures and living in constant fear with the knowledge that, one day, they might just devour the ones you loved most in the world.
"How about we join forces and face some Titans together?" he asked.
The men glanced at one another, cowed into silence. Before he could say any more, a soldier dashed round the corner.
"The advance squad has returned!" he announced. "Inform Commander Pyxis!"
Levi's heart skipped a beat, and he beckoned a soldier over to watch Pastor Nick as he got up and stepped down from the wagon. He went to stand at the edge of the throng of Scouts and Military Police as they gathered around the two soldiers that had arrived, one of whom was Sasha Braus, the other a dark-haired man from the Garrison regiment. The solider had already begun to spout his news from where he knelt panting on the ground, and Commander Pyxis leaned forward to hear him better. Levi glanced at Erwin, but his friend's stony expression gave away none of the trepidation he knew that he felt as he waited to hear the rest of the report.
"So there was nothing wrong with the wall?" Pyxis asked.
"No, Sir!"
"Hmm. As I suspected."
Pyxis was a drunk, but he was no fool, and Levi knew that Erwin had a degree of respect for the Garrison Commander. He just hoped that he wasn't too intoxicated to deal with the current situation. There was a pause as the soldier guzzled down some water, and then he spoke again, almost tripping over his words.
"H-However, there's a bit of a situation! We were heading back to Trost to give our report when we ran into the Scout unit led by Section Commander Hange and Captain Anya. With them were recruits from the 104th without their equipment. And it turns out that...three of them...are Titans!"
Levi tensed. Something had gone wrong. Very wrong.
"What are you talking about?" Jean demanded. "Are you saying there were more?! Th-three more of them? Who was it?!"
Erwin placed a hand on the young recruit's shoulder, his thick eyebrows knit together.
"Jean. Relax." He looked down at the Garrison soldier. "What happened when their forms were revealed?"
"The Scouts engaged the Colossal Titan and the Armoured Titan in battle, but by the time we joined up with them to fight...it was all over!"
Levi shoved his way through the crowd until he stood next to the Garrison soldier.
"Survivors?" he demanded.
"Most of the Scouts, including Section Commander Hange, are injured but alive. However, Eren Jaeger has been captured by the Colossal and Armoured Titans."
He grabbed the soldier from where he still knelt on the ground.
"What of Captain Anya?"
"I-I'm sorry! We didn't see her!"
He felt his mouth drop open, though the capacity to speak had left him. He let the soldier go and stalked off to get some privacy. It wasn't long before Erwin found him.
"Levi."
He refused to meet Erwin's eyes, instead staring down at the weeds stubbornly pushing through the cracks of the paving stones by his feet.
"It's happened again, hasn't it? Only this time for real."
"We'll get her back."
"Will we? Seems like I can't do a fucking thing," he growled.
"I will get her back."
"We both know your priority is that damn brat."
"Not when it comes to her."
Levi finally looked up.
"You sure about that?"
Erwin looked away, and Levi hoped that whatever his friend still felt for Anya would be enough, now, for him to be willing to put her life over what was potentially the fate of all humanity.
"I'll do whatever it takes to bring her back to you. That's a promise," he replied.
"You'd better make damn sure you keep it."
He stormed off to continue babysitting Nick, at last succumbing to the urge to kick him, though it did nothing to alleviate his fear.
YOU ARE READING
The Path Back to You | Levi x OC
Fanfiction"Reveal yourself," Erwin ordered, though Mikasa detected uncertainty in the commander's voice. It was almost as though he were afraid of who lay beneath the cloak. The entire regiment held its breath as the rider reached up with pale hands and lowe...
